An Act of FaithRobbery surveillance tapeOn October 19, 2009, what seemed like a normal day at an Indianapolis cash advance store became a true test of faith for an employee and an alleged armed robber.

Angela Montez, a mother and grandmother, was working when 23-year-old Greg Smith entered the store, climbed over the counter and stuck a gun in her face. "I think he knew where the [panic] button was because he had me move away right away," she said in a 911 call. "He kept the gun pointed at me until he came around across the counter."

Angela says that when she started to cry, the situation took a surprising turn. She says she told the gunman not to throw away his life and then began to pray. In an unexpected twist of fate, the gunman then dropped to his knees and prayed with her for 10 minutes. The unlikely pair even hugged. He then fled the store.

Angela says when she first saw the gun she thought of her family. "It was so overwhelming, so scary, but something just took over with me," she says. "A higher power took over."

Angela says Greg could have taken anything he wanted, but something held him back. "He said, 'I have to do this,'" she says. "I said: 'No, you don't have to do this. Nothing can be bad enough for you to lower yourself to something so bad.'"

Angela says Greg told her was out of work and on the verge of becoming homeless. "I [saw] some tears come in his eyes, and my heart just broke for him," she says. "I just looked at him like: 'Why is this young man throwing life away? Life is so precious.'"

Then, Angela asked the question that changed everything. "I said, 'Where is your mother?' He's, like, 'I don't know,'" she says. "[I asked], 'Where's your father?' [He said]: 'I don't know my father. I've never met my real father.' And I said, 'Oh, honey, I'm so sorry.' And he just started bawling then and he was like: 'Ma'am, I don't want to do this, but I know you're going to call the police. I have to do this.'"

Terrified, Angela says Greg asked her to calm down and then put the gun in his pocket. "He fell to his knees and started rocking and crying. And he's like, 'Pray with me,'" she says. "I reached down and I touched him. I was like: 'Jesus, please touch him. Let him know he's a good person. He should never lower himself to this.'"

During the prayer, Greg took the bullet out of the gun and handed it to Angela. "I took it," she says. "And he said, 'No one's ever talked with me like this.'"